History of Bucks
County, Pa Volume 3 by William H. Davis
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CAPTAIN SAMUEL AUCHMUTY WAINWRIGHT PATTERSON CAPTAIN SAMUEL AUCHMUTY WAINWRIGHT PATTERSON, U. S. Marine Corps, on board the United States battleship "Kentucky," of the North Atlantic squadron, U. S. N., was born at Washington, D. C., December 3, 1859, and is a son of Rear Admiral Thomas Harman PATTERSON, by his wife, Maria Montresor WAINWRIGHT, daughter of Colonel Richard D. WAINWRIGHT, first colonel of the United States Marine corps; and grandson of Commodore Daniel Todd PATTERSON, U. S. N. Commodore Daniel Todd PATTERSON was born on Long Island, New York, in 1786. He entered the U. S. navy in 1800, and was a midshipman on board the frigate "Philadelphia" in the expedition commanded by Captain William BRAINBRIDGE, engaged in the blockade of Tripoli, October 31, 1803, when the frigate ran upon the rocks and the vessel and entire crew were captured and held prisoners in Tripoli for three years, until peace was declared. On January 24, 1807, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant, and on July 24, 1813, to master-commander. As commander of the naval forces he co-operated with General Andrew JACKSON in 1814-15 in the defense of New Orleans, lending such support as to assure the victory over the British, and received the expression of their appreciation from the U. S. congress. He commanded the expedition sent to capture the defenses of the corsair, Lafitte, on the island of Grand Terre, in Batavia Bay, having been made captain February 28, 1815. He commanded the frigate "Constitution," 1826-29, and was appointed navy-commissioner in the latter year, holding the position for four years. In 1832-36 he was in command of the Mediterranean squadron, and on his return was made commandant of the navy yard at Washington, which he held at the time of his death in 1839. Rear Admiral Thomas Harman PATTERSON was born in New Orkleans, May 10, 1820, entered the navy from Louisiana as acting midshipman April 5, 1830, was promoted midshipman March 3, 1837, passed midshipman July 1, 1842. He spent the next five years on the frigate "Macedonia," the sloop-of-war "Falmouth," acting master and lieutenant on the brig "Lawrence," West India squadron, and on the brig "Washington," Coast Survey, from April 17, 1844, to October, 1848, when he was commissioned master. He was commissioned lieutenant June 23, 1849, and served on the sloop-of-war "Vandalia," Pacific Squadron, until October 12, 1852. At the breaking out of the civil war he was serving on the steam sloop "Mohickan," on the coast of Africa; returning home he was put on active duty; was commissioned commander of sham gunboat "Chocura," July 16, 1862, in Hampton Roads, Virginia; and was present at the siege of Yorktown, and opened up the Pamunkey river for McClellan's army, co-operating with the Army of the Potomac. In November, 1862, he was ordered to the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron in the steamer "James Adger," which he commanded until June, 1865, participating in the capture of a flying battery near Fort Fisher, in August, 1863; captured the "Cornubia" and "Robert E. Lee," and the schooner "Ella" off the North Carolina coast. He was senior officer in the outside blockade off Charleston, South Carolina, September 15, 1864; commanded the steam-sloop "Brooklyn," flagship of the South Atlantic Squadron from September 19, 1865, to September 18, 1867, being commissioned captain July 25, 1866; promoted to commodore November 2, 1871, and commanded Washington Navy Yard 1873-6; was commissioned rear admiral March 28, 1877, and commanded the Asiatic Squadron until 1880, which completed his twenty-five years of active sea duty. He retired May 10, 1882. He was elected January 2, 1868, a member of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United Sttes. He died at Washington, D.C., after a long and painful illness, April 9, 1889. He married Maria Montresor WAINWRIGHT, daughter of Colonel Richard WAINWRIGHT, of the United States Marine Corps, who died in 1881. They were the parents of three sons and one daughter. Captain Samuel A. W. PATTERSON entered the Naval Academy at Annapolis in 1876, and graduated in 1882, after making several cruises as a student. After graduation he was attached to the flagship "Hartford," of the Pacific Squadron, where he served two years. He left the navy in 1884, and in 1885 was appointed as a clerk in the United States Pension Office at Philadelphia under General W. W. H. DAVIS, pension agent, and filled that position for four years and six months. From 1886 to 1896 he resided in Doylestown, Bucks county, Pennsylvania. In May, 1896, he entered the U. S. Revenue Cutter service, where he served until January 17, 1900. He was in the blockading squadron at Cuba during the Spanish-American War . He reentered the U. S. navy in January 1900, and was stationed at the Boston Navy Yard until ordered to China, June, 1900, as second lieutenant of the U. S. Marine Corps, and was promoted to first lieutenant, July 1900, during the Boxer troubles in China, where he participated in the famous march to Pekin to relieve the imprisoned legations. At the close of the Chinese imbroglio he was ordered to the Philippines, and served on the U. S. S. "New Orleans," at China and Japan, and at Cavite and Olongapo, Philippine Islands. After two years and eight months' service abroad he was stationed for a time at the New York Navy Yard, from whence he was ordered to the Isthmus of Panama, where he served for six months. Returning to the New York Navy Yard he was promoted captain in November, 1903, and is now (1905) cruising on board the U. S. battleship "Kentucky," of the North Atlantic Fleet. Captain PATTERSON, February 18, 1886, married Margaret Sprague DAVIS, daughter of General W. W. H. DAVIS of Doylestown, Bucks county, Pennsylvania, a sketch of whose distinguished career and ancestry is given in this volume. Captain and Margaret (DAVIS) PATTERSON have been the parents of three children, Anna DAVIS, born December 27, 1886, died December 1, 1894; Thomas Harman, born April 15, 1889, died August 12, 1889; and Daniel Walter, born April 14, 1891, who survives. Text taken from page 50-51 of: Davis, William W. H., A.M., History of Bucks County, Pennsylvania[New York-Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1905] Volume III Transcribed May 2000 by Betty Breithaupt of California as part of the Bucks Co., Pa., Early Family Project, www.rootsweb.com/~pabucks/bucksindex.html Published April 2000 on the Bucks County, Pa., USGenWeb pages at www.rootsweb.com/~pabucks/ |
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Page was last edited:
11/15/2008